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Hi, I am currently a AT&T Tilt user on AT&T, and I'm looking forward to upgrading to the Touch Pro when it comes out. I've heard and looked into the AT&T Fuse, but I think I am going to over to Sprint to get the Touch Pro despite an early termination fee. When I look at the plans offered by Sprint, AT&T can't touch them. I was looking at the shared plans offered by Sprint, and I can get 3000 minutes with unlimited text and data (including Sprint TV...) on three lines for only $190 a month. Plus, with my sister's employee discount, I'll get a 13% discount, taking it down to $165 a month. AT&T can't even come close to matching that. Is there any reason why I shouldn't switch?
MaverickCentricity said:
Hi, I am currently a AT&T Tilt user on AT&T, and I'm looking forward to upgrading to the Touch Pro when it comes out. I've heard and looked into the AT&T Fuse, but I think I am going to over to Sprint to get the Touch Pro despite an early termination fee. When I look at the plans offered by Sprint, AT&T can't touch them. I was looking at the shared plans offered by Sprint, and I can get 3000 minutes with unlimited text and data (including Sprint TV...) on three lines for only $190 a month. Plus, with my sister's employee discount, I'll get a 13% discount, taking it down to $165 a month. AT&T can't even come close to matching that. Is there any reason why I shouldn't switch?
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The one reason for me is all about quality of network. I am with T-Mo in the US, simply because at a mile above sea level (sometimes two miles when riding my bike in the mountains), a lot of the other providers have several dead spots. I work for a competitor, and won't leave T-Mo for my employee discount simply due to the network offerings of the other providers.
To each their own...but almost all providers offer comperable "Unlimited" programs here in the States. Not sure how that is globally though.
th1nm1nt said:
The one reason for me is all about quality of network. I am with T-Mo in the US, simply because at a mile above sea level (sometimes two miles when riding my bike in the mountains), a lot of the other providers have several dead spots. I work for a competitor, and won't leave T-Mo for my employee discount simply due to the network offerings of the other providers.
To each their own...but almost all providers offer comperable "Unlimited" programs here in the States. Not sure how that is globally though.
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your in the minority with T mo i had em for years and they had the most dead spots ever. i have a phone with verizon and att now they both work 100 times better then t mo did but it all depends where you live
and only problem for me with sprint is the customer serivice its awful no one can deny that
Another thing to seriously consider is that the Fuze is a GSM phone vs. the Sprint's Pro is CDMA.... basically, you can use the Fuze anywhere in the world that uses SIM cards [which is basically any place on the planet assuming you get the phone SIM unlocked].
On the other hand, if you're not the world traveler or don't intend to do any traveling abroad, go with the Sprint
Just my 2cents
Some other differences.... AT&T has MMS and Video MMS... Basicly REAL MMS where Sprint does not. You can get the MMS working with Sprint... I think the file is called sMMS or something but its not the same. Now on the other hand, The Sprint REV-A is ALOT faster than AT&T's 3G in the USA... So streaming video will be better and any data related items. And ofcoarse, AT&T has way better coverage in the US... Personally, I like GSM phones better... Switch out your SIM whenever to any other phone... World use.. And the fact that you will have a wider sellection of phones/PDA Phones to choose from although Sprint has been coming out with some better than average phones theses days but who knows how long they will even last.. I know their stock is not doing good and I have heard of maybe some buy-outs so thats never good... <--- There is the final reason... Stability!
Raspster said:
Some other differences.... AT&T has MMS and Video MMS... Basicly REAL MMS where Sprint does not. You can get the MMS working with Sprint... I think the file is called sMMS or something but its not the same. Now on the other hand, The Sprint REV-A is ALOT faster than AT&T's 3G in the USA... So streaming video will be better and any data related items. And ofcoarse, AT&T has way better coverage in the US... Personally, I like GSM phones better... Switch out your SIM whenever to any other phone... World use.. And the fact that you will have a wider sellection of phones/PDA Phones to choose from although Sprint has been coming out with some better than average phones theses days but who knows how long they will even last.. I know their stock is not doing good and I have heard of maybe some buy-outs so thats never good... <--- There is the final reason... Stability!
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ATT has HSDPA which is much faster then Rev A
and the instinct is Rev A and its internet speed sucks video sucks so dont count on it
Raspster said:
Some other differences.... AT&T has MMS and Video MMS... Basicly REAL MMS where Sprint does not. You can get the MMS working with Sprint... I think the file is called sMMS or something but its not the same. Now on the other hand, The Sprint REV-A is ALOT faster than AT&T's 3G in the USA... So streaming video will be better and any data related items. And ofcoarse, AT&T has way better coverage in the US... Personally, I like GSM phones better... Switch out your SIM whenever to any other phone... World use.. And the fact that you will have a wider sellection of phones/PDA Phones to choose from although Sprint has been coming out with some better than average phones theses days but who knows how long they will even last.. I know their stock is not doing good and I have heard of maybe some buy-outs so thats never good... <--- There is the final reason... Stability!
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According to what I've been seeing regarding MMS, the Diamond and the Touch Pro (Sprint CDMA versions) will both have MMS.
That being said, I think it really depends on what is most important. Data plan and internet connectivity are very important for my job, so that is higher priority over call quality. I'm with Sprint and there are SO many dead spots that I hit (even in spots that aren't supposed to have any). AT&T service area seems to be better (based on comparison with some of my cousins).
Aside from that, the main 2 reasons I've stuck with Sprint for so long are the internet connectivity and the unlimited sprint to sprint (since majority of my family is on Sprint). Other than those, I probably would've left Sprint a long time ago.
drexappeal said:
According to what I've been seeing regarding MMS, the Diamond and the Touch Pro (Sprint CDMA versions) will both have MMS.
That being said, I think it really depends on what is most important. Data plan and internet connectivity are very important for my job, so that is higher priority over call quality. I'm with Sprint and there are SO many dead spots that I hit (even in spots that aren't supposed to have any). AT&T service area seems to be better (based on comparison with some of my cousins).
Aside from that, the main 2 reasons I've stuck with Sprint for so long are the internet connectivity and the unlimited sprint to sprint (since majority of my family is on Sprint). Other than those, I probably would've left Sprint a long time ago.
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Where did you hear that they will support MMS out of the box..? Because I have seen so many PPC phones with this feature taken out. I would assume it would be part of the SMS app as the current unlocked touch pro is but I really cant see them enabling this as it has been a GSM feature only for as long as I can remember for PPC. Also, even if added, the Sprint servers block it as tested with other PPC phones for Sprint.
lbhocky19 said:
ATT has HSDPA which is much faster then Rev A
and the instinct is Rev A and its internet speed sucks video sucks so dont count on it
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Sure about that in the US..? I have a mogul from Sprint and my buddy has the treo 800 and both blow away the speed on my tytn II when in a 3g area. I'm pretty sure at&t limits its bandwidth and now with the 3g iphone suckin it up, at&t has never been slower!
Raspster said:
Where did you hear that they will support MMS out of the box..? Because I have seen so many PPC phones with this feature taken out. I would assume it would be part of the SMS app as the current unlocked touch pro is but I really cant see them enabling this as it has been a GSM feature only for as long as I can remember for PPC. Also, even if added, the Sprint servers block it as tested with other PPC phones for Sprint.
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On PPCgeeks, look at the Diamond's manual. Read page 149 or something like that, and it talks about MMS... As far as past and future phones:
Sprint Diamond manual
The Picture Mail app will be available for ACE, 6800, 6900, Q9C, 800W as downloadable client arround mid Oct08.
All future WM devices will have it embeded starting with the Diamond launch. But you need a plan including the service.
And the BB Pearl as well as the Curve should get it too with the right plan.
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network comparison
I have made it somewhat of a passion to prove to myself what others say about network speed:
I have access to ATT, Verizon and Sprint and in the past Tmobile
I have tried to test in as many place possible
Your location is the most key thing, in other words you really need to see what network is stronger. While travelling through many rural areas Sprint is often useless but in more metropolitan they are often more comparable BUT that varies even in areas like Southern California.
What I can assure you is that Sprint Rev A , although some say it can be (even thier ads) is not faster than ATT 3G with HSPDA. They are very comparable in many side by sides and I think any differences are due to a particular network being crowded or not.
As many have said , if you travel overseas then definitely go with ATT.
If you like gadgets but occasionally work in the garden or go out to dinner and don't want the PDA the ATT or GSM phones allow you to pop the SIM out of your pda and into your smaller phone.
Lastly, rarely mentioned (confirmed during recent conversation with Sprint tech support) is that if you are in side by side good service and dial a number you will notice the Sprint phone connecting immediatley and a slight delay with the ATT gsm phone. That is because the networks are different in how they stay in communication with the towers. The down side for this is that in fringe areas you will find the CDMA (Sprint) phone have a much quicker battery drain in that fringe condition because it is fighting to maintain that connection! all of this is my experience but was confirmed by some tech guys recently as I tried a Treo 800
LilRico said:
On PPCgeeks, look at the Diamond's manual. Read page 149 or something like that, and it talks about MMS... As far as past and future phones:
Sprint Diamond manual
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WOW, Thats cool. Although I guess the d/l content to enable will be nothing more than a reg edit as my buddy look into the reg for the 800w and saw a section that said MMS enable and changed it from '0' to '1' and the palm sms app included then had the MMS option. Thats GREAT to hear!
Raspster said:
WOW, Thats cool. Although I guess the d/l content to enable will be nothing more than a reg edit as my buddy look into the reg for the 800w and saw a section that said MMS enable and changed it from '0' to '1' and the palm sms app included then had the MMS option. Thats GREAT to hear!
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Correct, but to a certain extent. I really think there's going to be a small download to add the graphics for that option to the phone as well as enable it in the registry. I also think there might be a few extra things it needs to add to the phone to function correctly, but I'm sure it will be something a ROM update will include or a small download from sprints URL to some where.... IDK.. Only time will tell....
So I'd like the experts to weigh in on this one: I'm pretty sure I'm getting the Touch Pro but I'd like to know the pros/cons of going the sprint route vs. the AT&T route. Do the same cooked roms on this site work on both, or only on the GSM (AT&T) version of the phone? Do people find the CDMA network faster/slower than the GSM network for Data (i.e. how do their 3G speeds compare). What other features might be different? And I know there's been some confusion on release dates but has that been cleared up at all?
...Part of me wants to wait and see if the Touch HD Pro will come out (HD w/ QWERTY) but I don't know if I can wait that long, and if it's only released for Europe w/out US 3G that'd suck...
Thanks all for your help!
I'd also like to see a good summary of the differences with the 2 providers. I'm probably going to be leaving Verizon for this phone.
I'd also read that the Touch HD would not be released in the US - so I'm pretty much counting on the Touch Pro.
jumping along with this one
Somebody can give more details, but I can still pitch in a little bit.
I'm from Canada so I can't really pitch in for pros/con for T-Mobile/AT&T. One advice is to get a real good look at the 3G coverage because ultimately that can be a big factor depending where you live/go.
From what I read, I wouldn't hold my breath for the HD, apparently it's currently not planned for North America. One with a keyboard is even a longer shot because of it's size, making it thicker would pretty much make it a huge phone, don't know if there's a big market for that.
As for the ROM, I saw that Elite Team is talking about making a CDMA rom, but in this forum, you will find much more GSM material. I believe that the North America user are not a huge proportion of the user base, so it explains why most of the talk is revolving around GSM.
Hope this helps a bit in your decision, overall the TP is very nice and I think the custom ROMs in this forum can make it a greater phone!
That definitely helps - If it makes a difference in terms of which service would be better, i live in the NYC area and so getting the coverage on either network wouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the sprint high speed network, but haven't used their service in like 5yrs, so have no idea if they've gotten better or worse since then.
In any case, the features of each phone look pretty comparable. It's not like the sprint phone will have some sort of killer app that the AT&T version wouldn't have.
I guess time will tell once people actually start using these and comparing notes on them. Is "Sprint TV" anything? I know that comes with the sprint version but have no idea what it is.
slyng1 said:
That definitely helps - If it makes a difference in terms of which service would be better, i live in the NYC area and so getting the coverage on either network wouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the sprint high speed network, but haven't used their service in like 5yrs, so have no idea if they've gotten better or worse since then.
In any case, the features of each phone look pretty comparable. It's not like the sprint phone will have some sort of killer app that the AT&T version wouldn't have.
I guess time will tell once people actually start using these and comparing notes on them. Is "Sprint TV" anything? I know that comes with the sprint version but have no idea what it is.
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sprint tv is tv on the go u get channels like nfl network , disney, and cnn live,but most of the channels arent live just clips and stuff...the only difference i see with them is the fuze took away the number row and replaced it with symbols, as far as networks i dont know whos is better, but sprints $15 data plan comes with sprint tv and you get 3g with att u have the pay for internet then if u want 3g then u have to pay a extra $10, but that mite just be for the iphone
labbbby said:
I believe that the North America user are not a huge proportion of the user base, so it explains why most of the talk is revolving around GSM.
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I take offense to you lumping me, a GSM user, in with the likes of Verizon and Sprint.
A co-worker of mine has the Vogue (CDMA Touch) on Verizon, and it's total BS what you have to go through when you flash a new radio or ROM to the device. Verizon uses something called an "A-Key" to authenticate you to their data network, and that key is wiped out on radio flashes (sometimes ROM flashes), so you constantly have to call Verizon to have them resend you a key to allow data connections (ALL data, not just ICS) to work.
...and Sprint has registry keys built into their ROMs to prevent ICS from working. Admittedly, this annoyance has a much easier workaround that Verizon's, but it's still BS.
havox22 said:
...with att u have the pay for internet then if u want 3g then u have to pay a extra $10, but that mite just be for the iphone
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AT&T has several different data packages available, and the device you have determines your choices, but all of them connect to 3G without additional fees.
Att All The Way!
As an owner of the FUZE. I can tell you I love this phone. The ATT version will a little different because it’s GSM. Forget the TV that any device comes with and get a Sling Box.
- Change your SIM to a cheap phone when you go Drinking or to the beach or overseas!
- Video Share, although not used a lot I use it and love it!
- Push To Talk, Again not really used a lot but its there.
Wow I sound like I work for ATT or something!
garymedina said:
As an owner of the FUZE. I can tell you I love this phone. The ATT version will a little different because it’s GSM. Forget the TV that any device comes with and get a Sling Box.
- Change your SIM to a cheap phone when you go Drinking or to the beach or overseas!
- Video Share, although not used a lot I use it and love it!
- Push To Talk, Again not really used a lot but its there.
Wow I sound like I work for ATT or something!
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definetly like being able to pop the sim in a crappy phone
wich my 8525 will be soon enough
The other thing to remember is Sprint is really struggling right now and may not be around much longer. If you do travel anywhere outside of the US and want to take your phone, you will want GSM. Just my 2 cents.
Sprint is better in my opinion
sprint evdo rev a is $15/month which is the fastest mobile speed you can get in the US, versus ATT 3G $30/month which much slower (i have compared a mogul versus 3g iphone, and the mogul(ppc-6800) is reasonably faster)
sprint $15 unlimited texting
ATT $20 unlimited texting
this all comes down to what your friends have?, because if you talk alot and your friends/family has att, then just go with them since mobile to mobile is unlimited and vice versa if you have sprint friends/family.
also, the previous poster is correct in the sense that sprint is obviously not good outside the US and for switching phones all the time.
sprint is using a dying technology (cdma) but at this time, there is no denying that it is the fastest data in U.S. and sprint has alot of coverage nation wide.
i think it will be a couple of years before CDMA is completely out of the picture and anyone buying the touch pro will on to their next phone at that point.
shadowwarz said:
sprint evdo rev a is $15/month which is the fastest mobile speed you can get in the US, versus ATT 3G $30/month which much slower (i have compared a mogul versus 3g iphone, and the mogul(ppc-6800) is reasonably faster)
sprint $15 unlimited texting
ATT $20 unlimited texting
this all comes down to what your friends have?, because if you talk alot and your friends/family has att, then just go with them since mobile to mobile is unlimited and vice versa if you have sprint friends/family.
also, the previous poster is correct in the sense that sprint is obviously not good outside the US and for switching phones all the time.
sprint is using a dying technology (cdma) but at this time, there is no denying that it is the fastest data in U.S. and sprint has alot of coverage nation wide.
i think it will be a couple of years before CDMA is completely out of the picture and anyone buying the touch pro will on to their next phone at that point.
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i agree with basically everything you said. The phones are basically the same, and flashing sprint phones doesn't take anything special besides making sure the Rom/Kitchen is designed for Sprint. Which most of the ones on ppcgeeks.com are on sprint first anyways sometimes only sprint.
but if you do international traveling I would definitely get the ATT version, just so all you have to do is pop in a different SIM card.
But ultimately it just comes down to which plan you can get for cheaper I'd say, like for the same minutes/data.
I travel a lot. Several times a week, and both nationally and internationally.
I use the Kaiser on ATT, and unless I am out in the middle of God's country (like, say, Carroll Iowa... don't ask), I find 3G and H all over.
I haven't used Sprint in forever.... but, as far as data goes, ATT seems to have pretty great coverage.
Making it simple:
Sprint
+Cheaper plans
+slightly better up/down speeds (especially factoring in the iphone factor)
-Harder to Flash (?, based on what's said here)
AT&T
+Usable internationally
+Easier to flash (again, based on whats said here)
-Data more expensive unless you lie to AT&T about your device (possibly causing a huge bill someday)
-Data speeds a bit slower
beyond that I couldn't say much more that isn't placebo or really effected by too many other factors... Traditionally Sprint phones will use more power then their GSM counterparts.. but there's a lotta factors involved in this issue
Also, with the Sprint CDMA network you don't get the annoying sound of speakers freaking out when you walk around and your phone does things in your pocket, unlike the AT&T GSM network.
Although if you like to be a pain, you may prefer the speaker interference caused by GSM phones.
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out. It's especially annoying in meetings when there is a conferance phone with speakers near all of the seats. I have to leave my phone at my desk! Not to mention the 9 billion dropped calls i get with this damn thing!
HTC_Feind said:
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out. It's especially annoying in meetings when there is a conferance phone with speakers near all of the seats. I have to leave my phone at my desk! Not to mention the 9 billion dropped calls i get with this damn thing!
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if you turn the data off the speakers shouldnt be affected unless a text comes in
I read somewhere that verizon wireless is also going to carry the touch pro.
rrider77 said:
I read somewhere that verizon wireless is also going to carry the touch pro.
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yes this has been known
but it isnt really in teh same league since they are cutting the processor and ram and also removing the tilt sensor
HTC_Feind said:
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out.
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It's half true only.
The noise which you hear through speaker only appears when you're in GSM/GPRS/EDGE mode but not in 3G UMTS/HSDPA mode. Furthermore, all GSM phones on any carrier all around the world will do the same.
Per my other post regarding service plans, I was hoping for some feedback from you guys.
A couple weeks ago I renewed my contract and got an Inspire. I'm still within the return window, and heard about the Sensation. Obviously the Sensation is the more powerful phone and would be preferable over the Inspire. And of course, Tmobile's $80 unlimited plan is very attractive when compared to $110 for the same plan features from AT&T.
However there's some rumor going around that the Sensation's bootloader is locked down tight and that it might not be able to be cracked so that we can flash custom ROMs. That's obviously a deal-breaker to me since I need root, and just hate the bloatware carriers put on a phone. I'd want it unbranded.
So, what would you guys do? Return the Inspire, go with Tmobile and get the Sensation when it comes available in the hope that it can be unlocked by then? Or stick with the Inspire and let it be?
That is a tempting phone but I think I would hold off and stick with the Inspire. There are a couple of reasons.
1. This phone is already hacked wide open and fully customizable. There is no guarantee the same thing will happen with the Sensation. (I am sure it will, but we never really know)
2. What happens if the AT&T T-Mobile merger goes through and they make you switch phones back to something with the AT&T banding within a year. The only good news is that you would come over at a better grandfathered price, but I am sure they will rip that away when LTE comes in.
3. T-Mobile Coverage leaves something to be desired. It rocks where it is present, but it isn't present in a lot of places. If you travel at all take a good look at that coverage map.
4. I believe the Sensation is only going to be capable of 21mb down (only... ha) not the 42mb down T-Mobile is deploying to cities like Vegas. This makes me wonder what their future plans are and if there is something... dare I say it... even better coming in 3 months.
bmolloy said:
The only good news is that you would come over at a better grandfathered price, but I am sure they will rip that away when LTE comes in.
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You make good points.
I presume that LTE is the AT&T 4G network, which the Inspire is designed for? Y'see I posed the above question on the assumption that the Sensation would operate on AT&T's 4G network as the merger goes forward, and/or that AT&T would offer an equal or better phone as the Tmobile customers were migrated over, but that might not be correct. Can you comment?
The problem I face is that I need to make a final decision by the end of today and either return the Inspire and revert to my no-contrast status, or stick with it. But if I stick with the Inspire, I'm locked into it for 2 years.
BillTheCat said:
Per my other post regarding service plans, I was hoping for some feedback from you guys.
A couple weeks ago I renewed my contract and got an Inspire. I'm still within the return window, and heard about the Sensation. Obviously the Sensation is the more powerful phone and would be preferable over the Inspire. And of course, Tmobile's $80 unlimited plan is very attractive when compared to $110 for the same plan features from AT&T.
However there's some rumor going around that the Sensation's bootloader is locked down tight and that it might not be able to be cracked so that we can flash custom ROMs. That's obviously a deal-breaker to me since I need root, and just hate the bloatware carriers put on a phone. I'd want it unbranded.
So, what would you guys do? Return the Inspire, go with Tmobile and get the Sensation when it comes available in the hope that it can be unlocked by then? Or stick with the Inspire and let it be?
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Not to mention the Sensation will be tied to T-Mobile and if the merger with AT&T goes through, eventually the data will no longer work. T-Mobile has been rumored to be contracting for phones that have quad band HSDPA+ radios. But the latest info is that the G2x doesn't have it. And the G2x was clearly stated it would have the quad band HSDPA+ radio. If the G2x doesn't have, I would not trust the Sensation would have it.
Stick with the Inspire. It's the safer bet.
BillTheCat said:
You make good points.
I presume that LTE is the AT&T 4G network, which the Inspire is designed for? Y'see I posed the above question on the assumption that the Sensation would operate on AT&T's 4G network as the merger goes forward, and/or that AT&T would offer an equal or better phone as the Tmobile customers were migrated over, but that might not be correct. Can you comment?
The problem I face is that I need to make a final decision by the end of today and either return the Inspire and revert to my no-contrast status, or stick with it. But if I stick with the Inspire, I'm locked into it for 2 years.
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My understanding about the merger is that T-Mobile runs their "4G" HSPA+ on different bands than AT&T does so the phones will not be compatible. AT&T wants that company so they can have all that bandwidth, all of those users and all of the towers in the densely populated areas like SF, NY and LV that are notorious for dropping calls when the towers get crowded.
AT&T has plans on rolling out LTE (which the inspire is NOT capable of using) within the next year, T-Mobile does not have any announced LTE plans because their HSPA+ is so good and I am sure they are waiting to see if they do get sucked up.
One other note, the T-Mobile "Unlimited Plan" is now saying they will throttle your data speeds when you reach 2GB. That means that blazing fast 21mb/s download speeds you get will be slowed way down until your billing cycle is up. For the time being AT&T's unlimited is unlimited.
I got the Inspire because I am locked to AT&T with the 4 phones with data plans I have on my contract. I look at this as an awesome phone that will definitely hold me over until they release a phone with LTE, which by that time being that I pay an obscene amount of money to them every month I will be elegible for my 15 month or so upgrade. In reality the only time I feel like my phone is inferior is when I am doing speedtest.net tests with friends of mine that have Thunderbolts which where I live get 20mb down and up. In reality though this phone is absolutely sick and it's only downside is that AT&T doesn't seem to be rolling out a very fast HSPA+ network like they advertised.
Great feedback, guys. I appreciate the help. Still on the fence, but getting closer to a decision.
MartyLK said:
T-Mobile has been rumored to be contracting for phones that have quad band HSDPA+ radios.
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This spec says that the phone is quad-band, or am I confusing data with voice radios?
http://www.cellhut.com/HTC-Sensation-Pyramid-30632.html?INO=518754
bmolloy said:
AT&T has plans on rolling out LTE (which the inspire is NOT capable of using) within the next year...
One other note, the T-Mobile "Unlimited Plan" is now saying they will throttle your data speeds when you reach 2GB...
In reality though this phone is absolutely sick and it's only downside is that AT&T doesn't seem to be rolling out a very fast HSPA+ network like they advertised...
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All good points. Here are my thoughts:
* If the Inspire isn't capable of LTE, then it's not really a 4G phone, is it? So maybe I should return the sucker now and wait to see what happens?
* I can't see myself ever going over 2G of data per month, and I have WiFi at home and office, so Tmo's throttle isn't much of an issue for me.
* If AT&T's data network isn't as robust as Tmobile's, then maybe I should really be looking to leave then, no? And if the voice network will eventually merge, wouldn't that be another reason to jump ship and go with Tmo?
BillTheCat said:
This spec says that the phone is quad-band, or am I confusing data with voice radios?
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Yeah, that would be the cell radio, which is compatible with AT&T, as well as Edge data network (2G).
According to this Engadget article, the G2x may not have the quad band HSDPA+ radio.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/24/t-mobile-g2x-getting-gingerbread-sooner-than-youd-expect-may/
Looking at those specs the Sensation says that it's 3G bands are 2100/900 MHz. AT&T uses 850/1900 MHz bands for 3G. The 2G radio is quadband so it looks like it will work on EDGE. I have an Nexus One that is unlocked but I had to wait for the AT&T banded one because the T-Mobile unlocked one would not work on AT&T 3G bands.
As for the AT&T not having 4G, that battle has been being fought for a long time here. Really what they did is call their HSPA+ network 4G, just like all of the other cell companies that have the same infrastructure starting doing about a year ago. They aren't exactly lying but they are not exactly telling the truth either. They do actually explain what they are doing on their website, but you have to look for it. I am not a fanboy here, I just think people are flaming AT&T even though they aren't exactly hiding what they are doing. They are just taking advantage of the lack of a universal definition for 4G.
http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-...locale=&_dyncharset=UTF-8&solutionId=KB115944
That Sensation is a great phone, honestly if it is unlocked and works on AT&T 3G bands and developers can root it and get some good ROMS I might just have to sell a kidney and buy one off contract to run on AT&T's network.
That is weird because if you go to the ATT site under inspire it says
4G* - HSPA+/LTE HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul
I just assumed it was capable of LTE
Humm
swatcop1 said:
That is weird because if you go to the ATT site under inspire it says
4G* - HSPA+/LTE HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul
I just assumed it was capable of LTE
Humm
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Click to collapse
That is their definition of what comprises 4G, not what this particular phone is capable of.
swatcop1 said:
That is weird because if you go to the ATT site under inspire it says
4G* - HSPA+/LTE HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul
I just assumed it was capable of LTE
Humm
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Sweet! If AT&T says it's so, I would more believe them than HTC. But in all actuality, the AT&T LTE will likely be their 4G network. This means, probably, that the Inspire is compatible in the fact that it uses 4G. This would also make the Atrix compatible.
But I'm not all that familiar with LTE to begin with.
swatcop1 said:
That is weird because if you go to the ATT site under inspire it says
4G* - HSPA+/LTE HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul
I just assumed it was capable of LTE
Humm
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Click to collapse
None of the current phones they are pushing out with "4G" labels have LTE radios. Part of that "What is 4G?" battle. I really think we are at least 1 year away from an LTE phone on AT&T. Just a guess, but I have had them for a long time and watched how slowly they move on stuff like this. An example would be launching the iPhone on only the 2G network when they had a fully deployed 3G network, and rolling out this HSPA+ way after T-Mobile and many international carriers. Not exactly committed to bleeding edge technology here with the big blue ball.
bmolloy said:
They are just taking advantage of the lack of a universal definition for 4G.
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To my way of thinking, 4G is about a speed standard, not a protocol standard. I don't care if the phone speaks Greek or German, as long as it does so at 4G speed. That said, I do agree with you that AT&T (or other large companies) tend to get into the crosshairs because it's easy to pick on the 800 pound gorilla.
bmolloy said:
That Sensation is a great phone, honestly if it is unlocked and works on AT&T 3G bands and developers can root it and get some good ROMS...
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I'm smellin' a lot of 'if' comin' off this plan. Lots of variables - timing, hardware, rooting, unlocking, ROM availability... there's a lot of uncertainty. Might just stick where I am. Besides, there's no saying that even IF everything went well with Tmo and the Sensation that when they're absorbed by AT&T that users won't be forced into an Inspire or other phone anyway.
Understood thanks
MartyLK said:
Sweet! If AT&T says it's so, I would more believe them than HTC. But in all actuality, the AT&T LTE will likely be their 4G network. This means, probably, that the Inspire is compatible in the fact that it uses 4G. This would also make the Atrix compatible.
But I'm not all that familiar with LTE to begin with.
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Click to collapse
Actually AT&T's plan is to be the only carrier that has LTE and HSPA+ so those in areas that don't have LTE can fall back on HSPA+ and still have somewhat of the 4G experience.
Like it has been said, none of their current phones have LTE radios. The Inspire will see 4G HSPA+ type speeds once the backhaul has been completed in your area but will never see LTE speeds when they roll out.
Any last thoughts on this? I have only until tomorrow to make my decision.
Verizon's LTE is fast now, but wait till it gets saturated like ATT. It'll go downhill just like Sprint's WiMax did.
I personally, would stick w/ ATT because of the Tmob merger. When that's done, the ATT network will get better for us the consumers.
If you have an Unlimited data plan, that's enough reason to stay IMHO. All the carriers are going the way of tiered data plans as an attempt to make the "experience" the best for all of us. I don't like it but don't have a choice either.
I think that if you'll fight the urge to have the best now, you'll be better off in the long run when all the wrinkles get ironed out w/ the ATT-Tmob merge.
My $.02
Tx
I say sensation because its newwer.LOL
I'm not ENTIRELY certain... but I believe the incredible S's bootloader is signed, and has yet to be cracked (or whatever needs to be done for custom Kernels/Roms) I'm not sure if HTC will continue the trend of signing bootloaders, etc, but seeing as how it's a newer phone, it would most likely follow that pattern.
If you're into hacking/modding/tweaking to the extent of a fully unlocked phone (read:custom kernels, more rom choice) then get the Inspire 4G.
If you find yourself pleased with Sense 3.0/ HTC's offerings in general, get the Sensation.
As a side note, I'm sure root will eventually be found for it, but no telling when with HTC changing their phone security game up.
Its very annoying that phone models are locked into specific carriers (hope this changes in the future) but im currently on AT&T, which in my area has the best overall signal coverage. Can this phone be put on the ATT network?
Is this phone a good one? My roommate just got the Incredible 2, and im liking the Thunderbolt, but thinking i need to jump on the Dual core market. I currently have a Touch pro 2, which is ok, but SLOW.
Also, what features does this phone have? HTC's own site seems selective on what they post on their specs (they tend to leave out common features on some phones)
Things I like on the thunderbolt spec sheet are..
Dual mics with noise cancellation, Compass sensor, G-Sensor, Proximity sensor (not sure what this is used for), Light sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, MicroUSB, FM radio. (i also like the kick stand)
The G-Sensor i think is pretty standard these days, tho not sure what they mean by the Compass sensor, id be great if it actually had a compass in it.
But this phone doesn't list ANY special features on HTC site.
Thanks in advance.
The Bell model gets At&t bands
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
charlieb620 said:
The Bell model gets At&t bands
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the What model?
Lyian said:
the What model?
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Click to collapse
Bell is a Canadian phone company (pretty sure) and has the same bands as ATT so their phones are compatible. If you're gonna jump onto the dual-core wagon, check out the SGS2 phones (i'm pretty sure ATT has one coming to them soon if not already...) Then you wont need to unlock or worry about compatibility
The sensation 4g will work on att, but you won't get 3g data.
Of the specs you listed regarding the Thunderbolt, the sensation 4g has all those features, minus a kickstand.
Also, the proximity sensor is used to detect close or far objects. An example of it in use is when you put your ear up to the phone during a call, and the screen automatically turns off, then turns back on when you move away from it.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
Don't try to get the tmobile version. You won't get anything above 2g.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
The Bell (Canadian) model (Z710A) will work on AT&T 3G. The T-Mobile or European versions will work on AT&T, but they will only connect with EDGE data speeds, not 3G.
I'm not overly concerned about data really, unless i'm forced to pay for it. The Touch Pro 2 i have now i bought unlocked so i didn't have to pay for data.
Also, the proximity sensor is used to detect close or far objects. An example of it in use is when you put your ear up to the phone during a call, and the screen automatically turns off, then turns back on when you move away from it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the light sensor did that? My TP2 does that, but doesn't mention a prox. sensor.
The Bell model gets 3G bands but is locked at the moment. It should be unlocked next week:
http://negrielectronics.com/htc-z710a-sensation-850-1900-3g.html
the t-Mo and Euro versions work but only allow 2G
You shouldn't have a required data plan if you pay cash for the phone.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App
Funk2641 said:
The Bell model gets 3G bands but is locked at the moment. It should be unlocked next week:
http://negrielectronics.com/htc-z710a-sensation-850-1900-3g.html
the t-Mo and Euro versions work but only allow 2G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eww.. I paied that much for my TP2, i cant really afford that again... i might be stuck with a contract Which id bet i couldnt get this.. this sucks lol.
Hows the speaker on this phone? My TP2 has dual speaker and has pretty good quality (also has a handy mic mute on the back). It also uses the sensor and switch's it to speaker when i flip the phone over (lying on the screen) Can this phone, or others do that or is that a TP2 specific thing?
Well, nobody around here offers this phone.. Which sucks. Ive been watching reviews on both This and the SGS2. While the SGS2 looks like a nice phone, and seems to be pretty comparable, i like how the Sensation looks alitlte more. The button placement, and the more 'roundness of it is more to my taste than then square 'iphone-iks' looking SGS2. Hell id proly be willing to start using a data plan if i could get this phone on att. (tmobile isnt in my area, if they are their coverage isnt good.)
Lyian said:
Eww.. I paied that much for my TP2, i cant really afford that again... i might be stuck with a contract Which id bet i couldnt get this.. this sucks lol.
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$550CAD straight from Bell Canada, which won't really help you much if you don't live in Canada or near the border. Once they're carrier unlocked and have custom ROMS I'll drive up and pick up a Bell model to use on AT&T, can't wait
ok.. i was wrong.. T-mobile is apparently in my area. I have no personal experiences with them however and none of my friends use them, so not sure how well they work in my area. Its food for thought tho.
Where are you located?
Chances are you aren't in a 3G coverage area which is good news because you can skip out on paying through the nose for a data plan... just opt for the 200MB no overage "unlimited" throttle point data plan and you're good to go. Voice coverage is probably still a concern but if it's just bad at your house T-Mobile has WiFi calling which uses your WiFi network to place and receive calls and texts
heygrl said:
Where are you located?
Chances are you aren't in a 3G coverage area which is good news because you can skip out on paying through the nose for a data plan... just opt for the 200MB no overage "unlimited" throttle point data plan and you're good to go. Voice coverage is probably still a concern but if it's just bad at your house T-Mobile has WiFi calling which uses your WiFi network to place and receive calls and texts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im around IU campus in Indiana. Their map shows 'average' coverage around town, but i know how exaggerated/inaccurate those maps can be.
As far as the data, from what ive seen, it includes up to 4g
Unlimited high-speed data access (first 200 MB at up to 4G speeds on capable devices)
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You are correct, 3g isn't in this area, let alone 4g (and from what i've told, nobody except Verizon has 'true 4g' anyway)
I dono, i guess im just use to ATT lol. Still, even with a new contract its 200 bucks upfront, which i cant afford atm. Still, im kinda drooling over this phone lol. Im over WinMo
Lyian said:
Im over WinMo
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about time.
If there are wal-marts in your part of the country, I hear they have it for $148.88
lol, yea, otherside of town has one, but blah buying one from wal-mart. Somehow i dont trust them to set things up correctly. Transferring my number and whatnot. It will take a month or two for me to have the money in any event.
i kinda hate that every place has different deals. T-mobile itslef has a higher upfront cost, ($250) but a lower monthly charge (59.99) but Newegg has a lower upfront ($150) but a higher monthly (69.99). The monthly cost seems to differ in the data.. Tmoble charing 10, newegg 20.
Bah!
@ Lyian Keep an eye out on the tmobile website. Just last Wed/Thurs (for lilke 24 hours) they were selling the Sensation for free with new contracts/new lines of service.
Keep an eye out tmo does that all the time.
If anyone wants to know I have a Sensation from T-mobile in Puerto Rico and I noticed that it says in the box that it works on 1700, 1900 and 2100 frequencies for data which means it can work on AT&T.
I'll try to unblock it later and see if it really works.
Lyian said:
Hows the speaker on this phone? My TP2 has dual speaker and has pretty good quality (also has a handy mic mute on the back). It also uses the sensor and switch's it to speaker when i flip the phone over (lying on the screen) Can this phone, or others do that or is that a TP2 specific thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speaker isn't that good for most apps. But for certain apps (like Google Music) it's really loud. I don't know why. Most people have overcome this problem by using the Equalizer app or Volume+ though. And yes, it can do that.
Ok, so I have a rooted HTC Thunderbolt with Gingeritis 3D and is getting pretty old. I want to upgrade to the S3, but the problem is that i'll lose my unlimited (bastards). I've looked into getting a cheap plan from other carriers that have the S3 and then modifying it to work with verizon and use the other carrier as a business phone, but I can't find a plan cheap enough. I really hate the tiered plans with verizon so I'm trying to avoid that at all costs, but I don't feel like paying $700 for a freakin phone. Anyone have any ideas on a work around of some sort?
You're most likely screwed, I just lost my unlimited data recently because someone on my plan upgraded, so we all lost it, you might as well suck it up, no offense, Verizon is closing all loopholes to keep unlimited.
-Sent from Marino's Galaxy Nexus-
Phones from sprint and virgin mobile generally tend to be cheaper. Im not sure how you plan on modifying GSM units to function on CDMA networks (then again, im not very tech savvy) but chances are buying an off contract phone is the way to go. The CDMA variant of the galaxy nexus is always a cheap viable option. My 2 cents.
buckfuddy said:
Phones from sprint and virgin mobile generally tend to be cheaper. Im not sure how you plan on modifying GSM units to function on CDMA networks (then again, im not very tech savvy) but chances are buying an off contract phone is the way to go. The CDMA variant of the galaxy nexus is always a cheap viable option. My 2 cents.
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Click to collapse
You can't, because:
1. You'd have to do something I can't mention her for legal reasons to get the Sprint version to work on Verizon.
2. The Sprint version has an embedded SIM, so no SIM slot that the Verizon version uses/needs for the LTE SIM.
3. Different frequency of LTE, so you wouldn't even get LTE.
4. Sprint has terrible data speeds and close to no LTE coverage (take it from me, I used to work for them).
5. Verizon is crazy expensive all in the name of "coverage" (take it from me again, because I used to work for them too, even though it doesn't take a genius to see it).
I say buy an AT&T/T-Mobile version unlocked (or international i9300 if you want) and hop onto Straight Talk. $45 a month unlimited everything (ok, well they'll throttle you if you use a lot of data), and you can choose if you want an AT&T or T-Mobile-based SIM. By a lot of data I mean generally over 2-3GB. But you can go on their Facebook page and make a support ticket lying and saying some app used a lot of data, and they'll usually un-throttle you in a day or less.
I tell people not to go for Verizon unless no other carrier has decent service in their area or unless their company is paying the bill. Because they have horrible customer service, destroy blockbuster devices with branding and bloatware (and locked bootloaders), and are crazy expensive.
Product F(RED) said:
You can't, because:
1. You'd have to do something I can't mention her for legal reasons to get the Sprint version to work on Verizon.
2. The Sprint version has an embedded SIM, so no SIM slot that the Verizon version uses/needs for the LTE SIM.
3. Different frequency of LTE, so you wouldn't even get LTE.
4. Sprint has terrible data speeds and close to no LTE coverage (take it from me, I used to work for them).
5. Verizon is crazy expensive all in the name of "coverage" (take it from me again, because I used to work for them too, even though it doesn't take a genius to see it).
I say buy an AT&T/T-Mobile version unlocked (or international i9300 if you want) and hop onto Straight Talk. $45 a month unlimited everything (ok, well they'll throttle you if you use a lot of data), and you can choose if you want an AT&T or T-Mobile-based SIM. By a lot of data I mean generally over 2-3GB. But you can go on their Facebook page and make a support ticket lying and saying some app used a lot of data, and they'll usually un-throttle you in a day or less.
I tell people not to go for Verizon unless no other carrier has decent service in their area or unless their company is paying the bill. Because they have horrible customer service, destroy blockbuster devices with branding and bloatware (and locked bootloaders), and are crazy expensive.
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Click to collapse
I believe Virgin Mobile has a $25 plan that might suit one's needs. Then again, I'm not sure about the compatibility of VMs phones with Verizons network.
buckfuddy said:
I believe Virgin Mobile has a $25 plan that might suit one's needs. Then again, I'm not sure about the compatibility of VMs phones with Verizons network.
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Click to collapse
For 3G they'd work, if you can do the thing that I can't mention. But VM uses WiMax for 4G, not LTE, so it wouldn't work.
I'm going to second the Straight Talk suggestion. While they don't guaranty you will have reliable service, it is certainly worth the savings and is usually pretty reliable. If you put up the cash to buy a phone outright, you will save more then that then if you were to stick with Verizon.
I have my Infuse on ST right now, and it's been just fine. I've been getting speeds equal to my service when I was on AT&T and have only had a few hiccups when it comes to data, bet never when it comes to actual phone service.
There are particular data heavy apps I've used that seemed to kick me off the data network, which I think is the only reason I had issues with my data. It usually resolves itself after a while though. One of those apps was a remote desktop app that I was just testing out from work for the first time on my phone (always used my tablet for it before), and my data pretty much stopped working as soon as I tried using it. Then after about an hour or so I was able to use data again. Tried calling in the issue, but I spent about 30 minutes on hold and just hung up. Which brings up another downfall of ST, it's usually not a good idea to attempt to call customer service in the middle of the day.
el_roy1985 said:
I'm going to second the Straight Talk suggestion. While they don't guaranty you will have reliable service, it is certainly worth the savings and is usually pretty reliable. If you put up the cash to buy a phone outright, you will save more then that then if you were to stick with Verizon.
I have my Infuse on ST right now, and it's been just fine. I've been getting speeds equal to my service when I was on AT&T and have only had a few hiccups when it comes to data, bet never when it comes to actual phone service.
There are particular data heavy apps I've used that seemed to kick me off the data network, which I think is the only reason I had issues with my data. It usually resolves itself after a while though. One of those apps was a remote desktop app that I was just testing out from work for the first time on my phone (always used my tablet for it before), and my data pretty much stopped working as soon as I tried using it. Then after about an hour or so I was able to use data again. Tried calling in the issue, but I spent about 30 minutes on hold and just hung up. Which brings up another downfall of ST, it's usually not a good idea to attempt to call customer service in the middle of the day.
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When you fill in the APN, remove any "Proxy" fields except for "MMS Proxy." It's one way they try to limit what apps can connect to the network. But other than that they're good. It's full AT&T or T-Mobile service (you choose the SIM type), running on the base network, not the Prepaid/slow-network. So if you have good AT&T or T-Mobile service in your area, you'll the same coverage/speeds on Straight Talk.
I bought a used (T-Mobile) GS3 for $450 and use T-Mobile's $30/mo pay-as-you-go 4G plan (100 minutes, unlimited texting, 5Gb data before throttling). There are other no-contract plans out there for other types of users as well. Doing the math, just buying the phone instead of paying higher rates for the carrier to subsidise some of it easily evens-out over its lifespan - or comes way ahead. I would have paid about $1000/yr at Verizon. Now I'm paying about $580/yr considering the price of the phone. If I keep the phone after two years, this drops to $360/yr. And I get better service quality over-all.
I'm sure you can find a used Verizon GS3 - heck, you can even get them NEW for less than "$700".
If you're actually getting a good deal with Verizon, then just buy the phone out-right.